The following are quick news hits from out sister publication – The Irish Garden Magazine. You can learn more about The Irish Garden on their website: www.garden.ie.

New Echo hedge cutter

Photo: The Irish Garden.

The Echo HCA-265ES HD articulating hedge cutter is the latest addition to the Echo range and offers an overall length of 2,446mm making it ideal for cutting tall or wide hedges with no need for a platform or ladder. A key feature is the heavy-duty gearcase, which is one of the main differentiating factors from the other long-reach hedge cutters in the range. For stockists, the Echo distributor in the Republic is Irish Farm & Garden Machinery, Hazelbrook, Malahide, Co. Dublin. Tel 01-8463922.

Gee-up new size packs

Gee-up, made in Blarney, Co. Cork, is simply well-composted horse manure. It is an entirely natural product, no peat added, and no chemicals involved. Gee-up is an Organic Trust Certified Product. Gee-up has reduced the size and price of their large bags of Gee-up for ease of handling. The large bags now in stock weigh approximately 18kgs and retail at €7.50 each. “Twenty or forty large bags on a pallet are still great value delivered to your door.” Small bags and bulk bags also available. See www.geeup.ie or call 021-4381485.

Rachel Doyle Lifetime Achievement Award

Retail Excellence has announced Rachel Doyle as the third-ever lifetime achievement award winner at their 20th retail awards event held in The Malton Hotel, Killarney, Co. Kerry, attended by some 600 of Irish retail’s biggest names.

Rachel Doyle is the proprietor of Arboretum Garden Centres in Carlow and Wicklow, a Board Member of An Bord Bía and a former President of the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA).

Irish fern display at Chelsea Flower Show

A world-class plant collection, which includes the Northern Hemisphere’s biggest tree-fern forest, will be exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at the end of May 2018.

Photo: The Irish Garden.

The exhibition moves to ‘Bloom in the Park’ immediately afterwards and on to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Tatton Park in July of next year, owner Billy Alexander confirmed, further stating that this was a huge honour.

Showcasing at such an event is not cheap and Mr Alexander is actively looking for a main sponsor for Chelsea. “This is a massive opportunity not just for Kells Bay but for Ireland as a whole.”

Coronet’s 20 years

The Coronet miniature apple tree has been a best seller for 20 years. It was the brainchild of Springfield Nurseries owner, Dr Pat McDonnell. Coronet trees crop immediately, remain miniature permanently and are easy to grow with no pruning needed.

They may be grown in the garden soil or in a container and are ideal for small spaces. The Coronet Family tree has two varieties of apples on the one tree and pollinate one another. They are available in all good garden centres. For more information, see www.coronet.ie